Theatre Harrisburg still standing strong after 85 years

When the cake and candles roll out at Theatre Harrisburg’s 85th anniversary bash May 1, it will not be just another birthday celebration, but an affirmation that community theater is here to stay.

“Three years ago, you wouldn’t have bet that we would even be here, let alone be in the black,” Theatre Harrisburg’s executive director, Samuel Kuba, told The Patriot-News in October.

A scene from "Crazy for You," Theatre Harrisburg's most recent musical.

He’s right. It’s not overly dramatic to say that in 2007 Theatre Harrisburg was close to death. Several shows had not sold well. Fundraising was down and the costs of being a resident company at Whitaker Center were rising. The old adage “the show must go on” seemed doubtful even for a formidable group that had weathered so many storms.

The core of Theatre Harrisburg has always been its volunteers. While the group’s shows regularly rank on par with the professional companies at Allenberry Playhouse and Fulton Opera House, all of the actors and most of the crew for Theatre Harrisburg do not get paid. Cast members and their family and friends do the hourslong work of striking sets after a show for little more than a doughnut and pat on the back.

Volunteers came through again for Theatre Harrisburg in its moment of doubt. Community members donated $20,000 in May 2007 alone to keep the theater afloat. The board then made fundamental changes to the operations. Theatre Harrisburg continues to do three big musicals a year at the 660-seat Whitaker Center, but its comedies and dramas have moved back to the group’s long-time home at Sixth and Hurlock streets.

In hindsight, these moves set up the theater even better to enter the recession. It was already leaner and more focused on surefire hits. Just mention the names of recent musicals — “The Sound of Music,” “Annie,” “Bye Bye Birdie” — and your toe starts tapping and you want to hum the songs.

The Jay & Nancy Krevsky Production Center at 6th and Hurlock Streets in Uptown Harrisburg.

Audiences and corporate sponsors returned to Theatre Harrisburg in the last three years at a time when many arts groups didn’t understand the magnitude of what had hit America and experienced heavy losses.

While Harrisburg is blessed with many wonderful arts groups for a city of its size, Theatre Harrisburg has a special place as one of the longest running — and one whose history mirrors the city’s own.

In 1926, 10 women decided to form Harrisburg Community Theatre in the basement of the Harrisburg Public Library. It was an era of strong females who pushed for Harrisburg’s parks and other civic works.

HCT — the precursor to Theatre Harrisburg — has had many homes throughout the city. Performances started in the old City Hall and downtown at the Majestic. In the 1930s, HCT moved to midtown to what was then the Jewish Community Center. In the 1950s, HCT went to the site of its current home at Sixth and Hurlock. Then, in the 1990s, it was one of the first to jump onboard with the idea of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, back in the downtown.

The group’s dramatic financial turnaround is yet another sign of hope for the city. If Theatre Harrisburg can do it, perhaps the city can, too.

A happy anniversary, Theatre Harrisburg — and a toast that there will be many more.